The present invention relates generally to a pump employed in a beverage system including a locking ring having a magnet that is detected by a sensor when the locking ring is in a locked position, and the sensor provides a signal to stop operation of the pump when the locking ring moves from the locked position.
Beverages systems are employed to make beverages. A flavored concentrate and water are mixed to form the beverage. Typically, the flavored concentrate is stored in a concentrate container. A piston of a pump nutates within a pump head to draw a set amount of the flavored concentrate into a mixing chamber. Water is mixed with the flavored concentrate in the mixing chamber to form the beverage with a desired concentration.
The beverage system includes a locking ring that secures an adapter plate to the pump head. The adapter plates aligns the piston and a housing of a motor. Movement or loosening of the locking ring during use can cause the beverage system to leak.
Prior locking rings are secured to the adapter plate by screws. A tool is needed to both secure and remove the locking ring from the adapter plate. A drawback to employing screws is that the use of the tool requires additional labor.
Hence, there is a need in the art for a pump employed in a beverage system including a locking ring having a magnet that is detected by a sensor when the locking ring is in a locked position, and the sensor provides a signal to stop operation of the pump when the locking ring moves from the locked position to eliminate the need of screws and that overcomes the drawbacks and shortcomings of the prior art.